Ukiah Planning Commission OKs tree removal

The Ukiah Planning Commission Wednesday unanimously approved a request to cut down four trees by a woman wanting to build a house on a long-empty lot on Myszka Place near Highland Drive.

"If I had my way, I wouldn't cut down one tree," applicant Karen Keehn told the commission, describing one of the redwood trees she plans to cut down as "a big, beautiful tree" that she "deeply regrets" has to be cut down. "But my escrow is contingent on my being able to build a house, and I have to take those trees down if I'm going to build a house."

Associate Planner Jennifer Faso said when the Myszka Place Planned Development was approved in 1991, there was a provision that certain trees remain and only certain building envelopes be approved. Since then, the trees have grown and are encroaching into the building envelope.

"(Keehn) is asking for an amendment to the Myszka Place Planned Development," Faso said, adding that staff recommended her request be approved, and received two letters in support of the project, which is to remove three redwoods and one cedar, then plant five new trees.

Keehn first requested to remove two trees, but after consulting an arborist as requested by the commission, she applied to remove two more trees. She also held an open house to allow her neighbors to ask questions about her plan.

When a member of the audience asked why she needed a permit to cut down a tree, Commissioner Judy Pruden said normally you do not need one to do so on private property, but "these trees were identified in the development plan as needing to be saved."

Another member of the audience said the property had changed hands several times as "multiple owners had the same issues Karen has had trying to build a house. But no one went to the extra time and expense to ask for an amendment."

When another member of the audience asked why the house plan couldn't be amended instead, Faso said the applicant has tried numerous alternative designs for the house without success, and "decided to amend the agreement instead."

"It's my opinion that trees so close to the building envelope never should have been considered as part of the mitigation plan to begin with," said Commissioner Kevin Doble. "I'm happy that we're removing three healthy trees and we're replanting six, at basically a 2-to-1 ratio."

"I think (not removing the trees) would be a hardship for the applicant," said Commissioner Linda Sanders. "She's not going to keep the property if she can't cut down the trees, that's clear to me."

The commission unanimously approved Keehn's request to remove the trees.

Justine Frederiksen can be reached at udjjf@ukiahdj.com, on Twitter @JustFrederiksen or at 468-3521.